Romantic Tragedy
by Merlyn Britainnicus
Summary: It's a oneshot, my version of how Lily and James came to understand one another, I'll be putting this into a longer story once i have the time.


Author's Note: Ok, this is a one-shot thing… I wanted to use this in a story, I probably will use it eventually when I have the time to do so… but I like it so much I think I'll put it out now so everyone enjoys! Lol

DISCLAIMER: Everything you don't recognize is mine, everything else belongs to J.K.R.

_The setting takes place in Lily and James's seventh year, James has been asking Lily out since fourth year. James began to control his arrogance after fifth year and spent sixth the same. This takes place as they head to King's Cross. James spent the summer at Sirius's place, not Number 12 but the place he got with the money he got from his Uncle Alphad, you'll see why in a bit._

"James!" Sirius yelled, "get your arse over here, it was bad enough you spent all summer at my place, but you lollygag all over the platform? Moony and Wormtail got us a compartment, go do your head business and come back quickly!"

"I'll see you in a few Paddy" James replied

James made his to the head's compartment, eagerly waiting to see if his prediction was true. It was a shock to see the Head Boy's badge with his list, it only proved Padfoot's theory that Professor Dumbledore was indeed mad. Sirius words were "I knew it, he's a loony!" Padfoot and Prongs had a bet going on, as to who it was for Head Girl. Prongs said the beautiful and stunning Lily Evans was going to be Head Girl, however Padfoot said that since the Head Students, if they were both from the same house would have to stay in their own little common room by themselves and that hadn't happened in 300 years according to Moony, who read it in Hogwarts: A History. So Padfoot had his money on Rose Morningside, a Ravenclaw. The door opened and in walked Lily Evans who was currently reading a letter and shock was all over her face.

"Surprised to see me Lily Flower, bet you didn't think I would be Head Boy now would you?" James said, immediately regretting it when he saw tears streaming down Lily's face. "Oh I'm sorry Lily, I didn't mean it. I was just as shocked as you were when I found out, please don't cry."

"Just go away Potter, I don't need this right now." Lily choked out, "just leave me alone"

"Now I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't find out what was wrong now would I?" James said.

"Listen Potter, I just found my life has been completely messed up and I really don't want you right now, so get the hell out of here!" Lily screamed.

"I've got every right to be here Lily!" James yelled back at her, now furious that she wouldn't see the other side of him. "I'm Head Boy, I'm trying to be nice to you and you're just pushing me away. Why? Huh? Why?"

"Potter! You want to know? Really? My parents just DIED yesterday, death eaters came and killed my mum and dad. I'm sure that you, the Perfect James Potter, has had everything in your life go exactly how it's planned. Nothing bad could ever hurt the Great James Potter! You have no idea how I feel..." Lily let it all out in one burst, and started sobbing.

James took a step forward and raised his hand, "If you didn't lose your parents just now, I would have smacked you. How dare you? You think my life is perfect? You think everything has gone the way I've planned it to go? Listen to me Lily, I know how you feel so don't you ever think I don't! I thought you were different, but you're just the same as the rest of them. I guess I was wrong, goodbye!" With that James stormed out of the compartment and left Lily crying silently.

A MONTH LATER

It was a month after the confrontation in the Head's compartment and James was still ignoring Lily. Lily had gotten over the worst of it, Petunia hadn't responded to any letters Lily sent. But through her friends Alice, Marlene and Beth, she started to be the Lily of old. She even began missing James trying to ask her out every day, in fact she began to realize that James only spoke to her when needed. He completely ignored her every other time, even at Head meetings he would deliberately walk fast to avoid any conversation. James even gave up staying in the heads room and staying in the seventh year dorm with his friends than chance meeting her in the common room alone. She started to wonder what was going on with Potter, so she brought it up one night with her friends when they were over in the heads room.

"Has anyone noticed how Potter has stopped trying to ask me out?" Lily asked.

"I noticed, he seems more resentful of you now, I saw him glaring at you a couple of times, you never did tell us what happened in the Head's compartment." Alice noted.

"He was being his usual git, bragging about being Head Boy and rubbing it in, then when he noticed I was crying over…. well, crying, he thought that he could get some more blackmail against me by finding out what was the matter. I told him to shove off, he kept annoying me, so when I told him what happened and told him that he wouldn't understand because of his perfect life. He started going on how he would know what it felt like." Lily said, sarcastically saying the last bit.

"Lily, did you read the Daily Prophet anytime during the summer?" Beth asked quietly

"No, Petunia was insisting that the "abnormality" be kept to a minimum so mum asked me to stop my subscription." Lily replied.

"Marlene, do you still have it?" Beth asked

"What are you going on about?" Lily said, frustrated that her friends were suddenly more concerned with a Daily Prophet issue than her issues with James Potter.

"You know how you wrote us asking us to keep you updated after the train ride. Well, we started to collect the Daily Prophets that were released in the summer so you could catch up. But with what happened with your…. family, we held off and forgot about it. Lily, two days after the train ride home, there was a massive attack in York." Marlene said, "almost an entire family was wiped out."

"Oh my goodness," Lily covering her mouth in shock, "which family?"

"The Potters, James wasn't there, I think he was at Sirius's new apartment." Beth replied.

"How many?" Lily couldn't help but ask.

"Maybe you should read the article." Marlene said, pulling out an old copy of the Prophet from her trunk.

POTTERS KILLED AT YORK ESTATE

BY: HAYLEY O'TOOLE

_In a sudden swoop, a respected family was reduced to one surviving member. Early in the morning of July 2nd, the Potter family estate was attacked by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his death eaters. The Potters have a reputation of denouncing the claims made by some of the death eaters that muggle-born witches and wizards have no place in our world. The Potters have stood with Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, where Hogwarts currently is instructing over 75 muggle-born students, insisting that Hogwarts continues to keep their doors open to muggle-borns. For this reason, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named decided to rid himself of the Potters. The York estate was completely destroyed, the battle reaching the ears of muggles over 10 miles away. None of the family remained, the list includes_

_Harold (39) and Laura (38) Potter, _

_Kevin (36) and wife Susan (34) Potter (Brother and Sister in law to Harold Potter)_

_Joseph (31) and wife Anne (32) Potter (Brother and Sister in law to Harold Potter)_

_Matthew (27) and wife Rebecca (27) Bones (Brother in law and sister to Laura Potter)_

_Alexander Potter (10) (Son of Harold and Laura)_

_Megan Potter (9) (Daughter of Harold and Laura)_

_Amy and Peter Potter (7) (Son and Daughter of Kevin and Susan)_

_Harriet Potter (5) (Daughter of Joseph and Anne)_

_Daniel Potter (3) (Son of Joseph and Anne)_

_The sole surviving member of the Potter family is James Potter (17) and will be returning to Hogwarts in the fall to complete his seventh year. Our thoughts and wishes are with Mr. Potter as he suffers through this tragedy…_

Lily couldn't bear to read any more, she burst into tears, shocking her friends. "How could I have been so stupid? I can't believe I said those things to him, what should I do?"

"Talk to him" Marlene said, "apologize, make sure he knows that you had no idea what happened this summer."

"You're right," Lily said, "I'll go apologize." With that Lily got up and marched for the door, intending to find Potter and apologize. Lily approached the Fat Lady and quickly said the password avoiding conversation with the Fat Lady. A few sixth years she knew said hi, but Lily didn't stop until she reached the seventh year dorms and knocked.

In the backround she heard a couple of people cursed and made hurried movements around the room. "Quick, must be McGonagall, hide those dungbombs" one of them whispered to the other. Soon after the door creaked open and the worried face of Sirius Black gazed at Lily standing there.

"Can…" Sirius said in a high pitched voice before clearing his throat and continuing, "Can I help you Evans?"

"I want to talk to Potter, is he in there?" Lily asked impatiently, tapping her foot nervously on the floor.

Sirius's face darken, "what's it to you? Come to rub it into his face some more?"

"I didn't know, I never got the Daily Prophet in the summer."

"And that makes it all better?"

Lily didn't know what to say, luckily for her a voice from the room let her off.

"Padfoot, it's fine mate, let her in. Go see Moony, his furry little problem is acting up again."

Sirius scowled at Lily before opening the door further and brushing by her. Lily cautiously stepped into the dorm room, avoiding the dirty clothes strewn all over the room. However, when she looked around she saw no one.

"Er… Potter?"

A voice could be heard coming from the room but Lily couldn't see where it was coming from. "What do you what? I've done what you've wanted me to do, I've left you alone."

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior on the train in September, I had no idea that you lost…"

"Piss off Evans. What you do? Rehearse that speech? I'm not some bloody teacher that you can impress. I told you I knew how you felt, bet you thought I was joking around with you right?"

Lily turned around and came face to face with James, a little too close than she expected and took a couple steps back in shock as James's hazel eyes, usually reflecting amusement and joy whenever she looked at them now reflected pain and anger.

"No, I just found out an hour ago, I thought it was just another way of you trying to ask me out again. When you've stopped asking me out, I didn't know what happened." Lily choked out.

"I can do without your pity Evans, I've gotten over them without you, I can live my life without too. So say your piece and get lost." James snarled.

"You've lost your entire family and you've gotten over them already? I lost my parents and I'm still not the same, I don't think I ever will. You don't care anymore? You aren't some machine, you can't go on without caring anymore. You know what, I don't think your family wanted you to be like this for the rest of your life. But if you're so content being by yourself, I wish you a long life and I'll get out of your hair."

Lily turned to leave and just reached the door when James voice spoke up.

"Wait," he whispered, "you're right, I never got over their deaths. Huh, how could I? My mum and dad, uncles and aunts, cousins…. They were KIDS! They hadn't even enjoyed Hogwarts, my cousin Daniel, he was 3 and even he wasn't spared."

"What happened?" Lily softly asked.

"I had wanted to go with Sirius to buy his new motorcycle, my parents had insisted on me going to the family reunion, we argued and I left. I stayed with Sirius, and the next day I went by the house to be late, but still show up. When I got there, the dark mark was hanging over the house. My parents, uncles and aunts were sprawled over the garden, they died defending while my cousins hid in the house. Room by room I went, trying to find them. Room after room I saw body after body, I finally threw up after finding Daniel. He had a pillow across his face, the death eater couldn't even look him in the eye as he killed him."

Lily approached James and put her arms around him, James lent into her and sobbed for ten minutes. James's tears stopped coming and he started to rub at his eyes to wipe away any more tears, his eyes still red.

A look of anger crossed his face, James rushed to the window, threw it open and yelled. "I'LL GET YOU VOLDEMORT! ONE DAY I SWEAR ON MY PARENTS GRAVES THAT I'LL CAUSE YOUR DEATH!"

James slowly shut the windows and turned around, "thanks for being here Lily, it's good to get it off my chest. But what about your parents, what happened to them?"

Lily yawned, "it's too long of a story, how about after we supervise the third years to Hogsmeade, we get a couple butterbeers and talk about it."

"Sounds fine to me," said James as he showed Lily to the door.

Later, Lily woke up at 3 in the morning, she suddenly realized that after turning down any offers from James, she had asked him out on a date. Strange as it seemed, Lily didn't mind.

The rest as you know, is history.

_Author's Note: Wow, I know it isn't that long. But I'm surprised at how long I took to write it. Maybe it's because I've been busy with school and such. I hope you enjoy. This will show up in my James/Lily story sometime in the future._


End file.
